Survivors
by ThatBlackGirl
Summary: The dead has began to walk amongst the living. This group has to find a way to survive the best way they can while also running into other people. Daryl is usually a lone wolf but can a certain someone get him out of his shell? (Bad summary I know)
1. Chapter 1: First Meeting

**Warning: Abuse and racial slurs**

* * *

Daryl was eight when the beatings began.

His father would throw around his mother until she died in a house fire when he was only nine. Darlene Dixon was full of life until Will Dixon took it away from her. Everyone thought they were the perfect couple... then Merle came and something just switched. Will was jealous. It really is sad to see a grown man jealous of a baby for wanting its mother's attention so by the time Merle was 10, his beatings began.

Eight years after Merle, Daryl was born. Will had calm down on his beating but of course it didn't last long. Daryl grew up in a rough house and rough neighbourhood. Once his brother hit 18, he up and left which left Daryl to receive all the pain but he couldn't really blame Merle for leaving. Over those years, Daryl had to learn how to survive on his own.

Now he was 24. He had already left his birth home and reconnected with Merle but he wanted to go back to the home to get something he left a long time ago. Merle had just remembered money their mother had put aside for them which surprising didn't burn in the fire that took her life. They didn't have the best mother but she did her best.

He stood outside, now a grown man. No longer fearing his father, he walked confidently into the house and was not shocked at the disgusting state it was in. Beer cans and bottles everywhere as well as cigarettes. It was disgusting. Daryl looked around disgusted but didn't expect anything different. The only down part was that it showed his old man was still alive and kicking.

He swiftly walked towards the storage cupboard that was next to his room. He was in such a rush to leave when he turned 18, he forgot about this place. Daryl pulled back the floorboard and there it was, a stack of money and jewelry. He quickly counted the cash, there was 1.5K there so without a second to lose he threw the money in his backpack and went to walk back out the door until he saw a picture frame turned over.

He lifted it up and saw it was a picture of him, Merle and his mother. Unfortunately, him and his brother looked like their father but Daryl did inherit her eyes. He decided that he wanted to take the picture with him and so put it into his bag.

"Stupid bitch!"

Daryl froze. That voice was his fathers and it was coming from his room.

'Who was he talking to?' Daryl asked himself. He was going to ignore it until he heard a female voice that was in distress.

"Get off me!"

Daryl may not seem like a man with much morals but he did, especially when it came to women. He rushed to the bedroom door he hasn't seen in six years and went inside.

What he saw made him immediately jump into action and he grabbed his father and threw him on the ground, making the female scream.

"Who the fuck is... Daryl?" His father started to say as he got to his feet and faced his attacker.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Daryl questioned his father who was now putting clothes on his naked body.

His father chuckled. "I was just having some fun. Nothing harmful." The man was looking very old now.

Daryl looked over at who was in the bed with his father which made Daryl to become angrier. The girl was clearly under the age of 18 but was made to seem like she was older, he couldn't believe how low his father could get. She had black hair which was pulled back in two, hazel eyes and chocolate brown skin. It shocked Daryl to see his father bed a black woman because his father was a racist man which seemed to have passed down onto Merle. Daryl was more opened minded but never admitted it to them out loud.

The girl was frightened thinking the man that just walked in would come for her too so she grabbed her clothes as quickly as she could but something inside her just angered her. She looked over at the two men who were now in a heated argument and saw the family resemblance.

'Must be father and son.' She thought as she watched the scene unfold.

"Do you even know how old she is? Look how fucking young she looks!" Daryl questioned his father who just rolled his eyes.

"Who cares? She fulfilled her purpose, I paid for a good service and I got it. Better than I thought for a nigger bitch" Will said smugly which made the other two in the room feel sick. "After all these years, this is how you're going to greet your father?"

"You lost your sons a long time ago."

"Then why are you back?"

Daryl stopped for a second. Why was he still talking to this piece of shit?

"Don't worry why I am back. Just be happy I am leaving." Daryl answered back.

"I'll be damned if you walk away from me again!" Will shouted before attacking Daryl whose bag flew next to the girl standing in the room.

The young girl looked at the two men wrestling on the floor. This was her time to escape but something kept her there.

Something caught her eye. It must of slide out from the bag. She looked down and picked the item up. A gun.

Daryl was beating the shit out of his old man. All the years of feeling powerless were pouring into his blood, boiling it as it moved his fist to every available body part he could get.

Somehow his father managed to get on top and was now aiming for his face which he blocked.

Suddenly, a gun shot went off. Daryl looked up and saw his father's frozen facial expression. Then another shot went off. And another. Until his father finally collapsed next to him, eyes wide open and blood gushing out of his wound.

Daryl was shocked and slowly looked up. The girl had tears rolling down her pained face as she gripped onto his gun that was once in his bag. He cautiously went over to the young girl.

"Give me the gun." He told her and within seconds the gun was in his hand and he threw it back into his bag.

"I killed him..." The girl mumbled more to herself but Daryl heard her. He looked over at where she was staring. Yeah, he was defiantly dead.

'Good fucking riddance.' Daryl laughed.

"Let's go." He hastily pulled the girls arm and made their way out of his childhood home.

"Wait. Shouldn't we bury him?" She questioned which made Daryl stop.

"No. Let those bastards that sold you come and see him." Daryl replied before running to his pickup truck and the girl hesitated. "What?" He asked her, slightly annoyed now.

The girl felt dumb. Was she really going to be with yet another strange man?

"How do I know you're not going to hurt me?"

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have left you with that bastard in there. Now come on." He told her. Satisfied with his answer, she quickly jumped in next to him and Daryl sped away from the house that held his father's dead body.

After driving for about five minutes, the girl began to stare at him which he noticed.

"What?" He asked her.

"Are you not mad that I killed your dad?"

"He was far from that. Where do you want me to drop you?"

The girl thought for a moment. She really didn't have anywhere to stay.

"There's a diner not far from here. I can catch a ride to the city. Start a new life there." She told him hopefully. Daryl nodded and continued driving. He really had to feel sorry for this girl.

"How old are you?" He really was dreading the answer.

"16." She replied sadly.

'That damn bastard.' Daryl was pissed at his father and now wished he could have been the one to pull the trigger. This girl didn't deserve it.

Another five minutes later, they came across the diner she was talking about.

"Thank you." She told Daryl who just nodded. He reached into his bag and dropped $300 into her lap and to say she was shocked was an understatement. "What? But... why?"

"You need something." He simply replied and this made her eyes tear up.

"Thank you so much." She thanked him before quickly hugging him which caught him off guard. He just sat there awkwardly not knowing what to do. "For real. You've saved my life." Daryl nodded absentmindedly.

The girl opened the car door to get out when she stopped and turned back to Daryl.

"What?"

"I didn't get your name." She smiled at him. He wonders how a young girl like her can still smile despite everything she has just been through and probably even more.

"Daryl."

"Thank you, Daryl. My names Ebony."

* * *

**Well that's the first chapter done. The next chapter is going to be the beginning of the apocalypse so stay tuned for that. You can also read my other story 'Stronger Together' and I hope you enjoy both.**

**-TBG**


	2. Chapter 2: Meet Again

The world was now over. People began eating each other. They would get shot in the chest and still try and eat you. Daryl had just found a group of people they had set up camp with. It wasn't ideal for them him and Merle to do since they usually kept to themselves but they knew they would have supplies which is why Merle planned to steal from them soon.

"We need some more supplies. We have to go into the city." Shane told the group of survivors.

"I'm going hunting." Daryl told him as it was his way of getting out of going with them.

"That's good. We need some more meat." Shane nodded.

After a few more moments of talking about who should go, the group came to a decision.

Daryl went back to where him and Merle was staying to collect his hunting equipment when Merle came over to him.

"Why you going with them?" Daryl asked his older brother.

"We need to build their trust before we rob them blind." Merle told him mysteriously.

"I guess. Don't die." Daryl told his brother before walking away.

"Trust me. I am not dying any time soon," With that, Merle went over to the other survivors who were going into the city with him.

* * *

Daryl went out into the woods and began to track down any animals he could find. It didn't take long before he found a few rabbits and squirrels. In the begin, everyone would complain about eating these animals but they had no time for their whining, they had to grow up.

Daryl was used to eating these animals. His father rarely fed him so instead of trying to find money to buy some food, him and Merle learned how to hunt animals. It didn't take long before they perfected hunting, skinning and cooking these meats. One of the people most against eating these animals were Lori but Daryl had to harshly remind her that what's happening in the world right now is fucking inhuman, since then she has kept quiet.

It has been nearly two hours since Daryl went out hunting and he decided it was time for him to go back. He had collected a good number of animals that would last them a few days, hopefully the others come back with good enough supplies. He seemed to be the only usefully one in the group. They didn't deserve hi-

Daryl's thoughts were cut short as he heard rustling in the bushes. He ducked down low and grabbed his cross bow, ready to shoot if needed. He peered through the grass and bushes to see a deer who was minding its own business.

'Too bad I have to kill it.' Daryl thought as he expertly raised his cross bow and shot the animal dead.

As he went to retrieve it, there was already them dead things chewing away at his kill and this pissed Daryl off. He had spent the past few hours hunting for food and this deer would have been amazing to eat right now but no. They had to sink their dirty little teeth into his prize.

He looked around to see the people he was at camp with crowded around the deer and looking disgusted. Daryl wasn't. He still didn't know why him and Merle stayed here with these weak people. They were scared of everything around them. Growing up the way he did, he was scared of little to nothing. He has been attacked by animals, slept outside, killed animals. Something these city folks wouldn't understand.

As he made his way back to the main camp, he began to look for his brother.

"Merle! Merle! Get your ass out here!" He called out but Shane began to stop him.

"Daryl... there was a problem back in Atlanta." Shane told him, avoiding eye contact.

"...He dead?"

"Not sure." Before Daryl could say anything else, another man jumped in.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it." He said as they stepped up to Daryl.

"Who are you?" Daryl asked and you can hear his frustration growing in his voice.

"Rick Grimms."

"Rick Grimms?" Daryl mocked. He really didn't care who he was just, he just wanted to know where his brother was. "You got something you wanna tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all. So I handcuffed him to the roof, hooked up to a piece of metal. He's still there."

Everyone around them was silent. No one dared to step in. They were waiting for Daryl to explode.

"Hm, let me process this. So you handcuff my brother to the roof? And you left him there?!"

Rick felt bad when he saw the way Daryl was acting. He thought he lost his family and that tore him apart, he understood what Daryl was feeling.

Daryl began to pace up and down, not knowing what to do. How they going to go out with his brother and come back with some other guy? Not being able to stand there any longer, he threw the dead animals at the new comer but was instantly tackled by Shane. The three began to wrestle until Rick and Shane managed to restrict his movements after Daryl pulled out a knife.

After a while and more emotions, the group agreed to go back to get Merle as well as Rick's bag of guns. Daryl knew his brother was a handful but at the end of the day that's what he was, his brother. He's the only person who understood his pain. He knew that the only reason they agreed to go was for the guns but he didn't care. He was going to get his brother.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to get back into the city. Daryl just kept thinking to himself how he hoped his brother was fine. That the walkers hadn't gotten him. Once he got his brother, he didn't care if he wanted to rob them blind, he would do it as long as they did it together.

The raced up to the roof, Daryl calling out his brother's name desperately waiting for a response. Everyone paused when they saw all was left was a bloody saw, the handcuffs and one lone hand. Putting the pieces together Daryl let out an angry cry.

"Nooo! Noo!" Daryl couldn't believe it. His brother was gone. The only family he had left was gone. T-Dog, Rick and Glenn just watch the man cry out into nothing and you can see the guilt in their faces. They never meant for this to happen.

The blood made Daryl's sadness turn to anger and he swung around and pointed his cross bow at T-Dog but instantly a gun was at his own head.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in this city hears it." Rick threated the emotionally damaged man but they all eventually lowered their weapons.

Daryl decided it was a good idea to carry the severed hand with him much to Glenn's disgust. They followed the bloody trail from Merle's lost limb which lead them to a kitchen. Inside was the smell of burnt flesh and blood.

Despite the odds being against him, Daryl believed that Merle Dixon was still alive.

"I'm going after him." Daryl tried to leave but he was pushed back by the sheriff.

"I know how you feel but he can't have gotten that far. We can check around a few blocks but that's only if you keep a level head." Rick said.

"I can do that." Daryl nodded.

Hearing this made T-Dog feel uneasy. "Only if we get them guns first. I am not strolling through the streets of Atlanta with just my good intention."

All of a sudden, they heard a gun.

"Who are you?"

Rick looked ahead and saw a young woman standing in front of him with a gun pointed at them. He could see the nervousness in her face as her eyes darted back and forth between the men.

"Why don't you lower the gun for a second. Let's talk it out, we don't need to be pulling weapons on each other." Rick told the woman, using his police work to get the woman to lower her weapon.

"Tell me who you are first." She told them firmly.

'Forget this.' Daryl thought and he spun around and pointed his crossbow at her. He was not going to let someone threaten them when he needed to go find his brother.

"Wait... Daryl?" The woman said. Everyone looked between the two, wondering how they knew each other. For what Merle said to T-Dog, they though Daryl was the same so this was a shock.

"Ebony?"

The men stared at the two who couldn't turn their gaze away from each other making them wonder what past they shared. Rick decided to break the intense staring.

"Do you know each other?" Rick asked, his blue eyes darting back and forth between them.

The girl, now who's name they guessed was Ebony, turned her hazel eyes to look at the man in sheriff uniform.

"You can say that."

* * *

**I know this seems a bit rushed but I wanted to set the tone also I had to go back and watch the first few episodes since I forgot the things that happened in the beginning. Next chapter will be better.**

**Until next ****time**

**-TBG**


	3. Chapter 3: Warm Welcoming

**Trigger warning: Mention of abuse**

* * *

Ebony has been out on her own since she was 14 years old. Her parents were tragically killed in a car accident and her grandmother was too old to look after her so she fell into the system.

That was when her life crashed around her.

Moving from home to home, she got into fights with other children. In her first home, a group of girls tried to stab her within her first week but she managed to defend herself and only got a few slashes. She managed to turn the blade on one of the ones attacking her and got her right in the shoulder. Lucky, she didn't go juvenile detention because they saw she only acted in self-defense and decided it was best to move her to another home.

2 months before her 16th birthday, she was kidnapped by a middle-aged white man who found her walking home from school. She knew her foster parents at the time didn't care, they only fostered for the money. From there, she received the worse abuse anyone could go through. Mental, physical emotional and sexual.

He broke her.

Once she was broken, he sent her out and from then, she tried to block out those disgusting memories but it would somehow always find a way to come back to haunt her.

It wasn't until that day, where she was being abused once again, someone came in and saved her. She was the one who pulled the trigger but he was the one who saved her. Ebony was forever grateful for that pig's son. It was strange that he didn't want to kill her after killing his father in front of him but she was glad he helped her.

That was the last day she allowed any man to take advantage of her.

* * *

Present

The world was plagued by the dead coming back and Ebony was out on her own. She managed to find weapons to protect herself and she hoped it was enough. It did her justice so far.

She was scouting for some food when she came across a department store. She managed to sneak in, unnoticed by the few walkers that were outside. She had no idea where she was walking to but she knew that her guard had to stay up, she couldn't be caught slipping.

Ebony followed the direction to what looked like the kitchen when suddenly she heard talking.

'The dead don't speak.' She thought as she pulled out her gun, ready to shoot if necessary. Her back was against the wall and took a deep breath to slow her beating heart.

"Only if we get them guns first. I am not strolling through the streets of Atlanta with just my good intention."

Once she heard this, she swung around the corner, gun aimed at all four males standing there. She took a quick sweep at each one.

There was a young Asian boy who was around the same age maybe younger than her. A white sheriff, a muscular bald black man and another white male but his back was turned to her.

"Who are you?" She asked. She was nervous but tried her best to not show any sign of weakness. If she showed any weakness, they would use it to their advantage which could get her hurt.

"Why don't you lower the gun for a second. Let's talk it out, we don't need to be pulling weapons on each other." The one in the uniform said to her.

She could tell he wasn't wearing it for show because the way he was talking to her, she knew it was from years of police work.

"Tell me who you are first." Ebony asked firmly, she wasn't going to let them get the best of her.

Suddenly, the one face she couldn't see swung around and aimed a crossbow at her head.

It only took her a matter of seconds to recognize the man in front of her. He looked a lot older but she knew who it was.

"Wait... Daryl?"

It had been years since they had seen each other and was the last person she expected to see.

"Ebony?" He questioned back.

She could feel the other three men looking back and forth between the two but she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Do you know each other?" The sheriff asked.

Ebony turned her hazel eyes to the one who asked the question.

"You can say that."

"Are you going to lower your gun now?" The Asian one asked. Ebony raised her eyebrow but did as he said since Daryl was a part of them. "Ok. I'm Glenn." He nervously introduced once her gun was out of sight.

"T-Dog."

The one in the uniform stepped up slowly and held his hand out. Ebony looked at it first, not knowing what to do since who had time to be so formal in this new world.

"My names Rick. Rick Grimes."

Ebony shook his hand slowly wondering why he was being so friendly but decided to ignore it.

"Ebony Royalty Brown." She introduced since he was giving full names.

"I hate to say this but can we get going now. I don't want to stay here so long when we still have the bag of guns to get." Glenn spoke up.

"Guns?" Ebony questioned.

"Yeah. Rick here had a large bag of them but dropped it while trying to run away from the walkers which I then saved him from." Glenn chuckled until he saw the serious faces around the room.

"Let's just move." Daryl mumbled and with that, they all moved out the kitchen to discuss their next move.

* * *

Much to Ebony's protest, they didn't involve her in the plan of getting the bag of guns so she waited for them to come to her. The whole time she waited, she couldn't get her mind off seeing someone from her past. Anyone from her past never sat right with her, it usually led to her having a panic attack but this time she managed to stay calm. Daryl had obviously changed since it's been 10 years since they had seen each other. She was no longer that scared 16-year-old girl he met all them years ago. She was a 26-year-old woman who was getting her shit together but of course the world wanted to fuck her over once more. It was as nothing allowed her to have happiness.

Suddenly, Ebony heard someone shouting. She peaked out from her position and saw that T-Dog and Rick had ran to see what was happening so she pulled out her knife and did so too. By the time she reached the ally where the commotion was happening, there was a young boy getting held away from Daryl and Glenn was nowhere to be seen but the bag of guns was laying on the floor.

"What the fuck happened? Where's Glenn?" She asked as stepped in the middle looking back and forth between the men.

Daryl was shouting something but she couldn't hear him properly over the walkers that were trying to get them from behind the gate.

"Guy, guys! We're cut off." T-Dog pointed and shouted.

Rick pointed to the other end where he just came down. "Go back!"

Without hesitation they all retrieved back to where they started.

They threw the kid into the chair and began interrogating him.

"Those men you were with, I need to know where they went." Rick said.

The young boy slouched in his chair obviously not caring about anything. "I ain't telling you nothing."

"Man what the hell happened out there?" T-Dog asked in disbelief at what could have been such a simple plan.

"They jumped me! They took Glenn so they might have taken Merle." Daryl pointed out.

"What kind of hick name is Merle? I wouldn't even name my dog that." The kid smirked and when Daryl tried to kick him, Rick pulled him back to stop him. That didn't stop him, Daryl took out his brothers severed hand and threw it onto his lap making him jump out of the chair.

"What the fuck?" Ebony commented as she looked at the hand on the floor. She looked up at T-Dog but he just shook his head.

"You don't even want to know." T-Dog told her. Uncertain, she turned her attention back to the tattooed kid.

The severed hand seemed to have done the trick because next thing they knew, they were standing outside what looked like an abandoned building.

"Please Lord, don't let me die today." Ebony said silently but Daryl heard. He looked at her and softly shook his head while she just shrugged. Things have been crazy since they met and he hasn't even had time to full comprehend that she was now next to him after all those years.

"You know how to use a gun?" T-Dog asked her as he held the bag of guns.

"Of course I do. I don't be pointing at people for fashion." She rolled her hazel eyes before grabbing on of the guns. "Hm. These some good guns. Defiantly police type of shit." She observed.

"You seem to know about your guns." Rick said cautiously.

She innocently smiled. "How else am I supposed to know how to kill a bastard that tries to hurt me?"

T-Dog sighed. "Let's just get this over with..." He walked away from his position leaving the four behind.

"Let's go." Rick said as he took the lead.

Ebony was in front of Daryl and tried her best to not hit herself as the squeezed their way through a broken window due to her wide hips Daryl had noticed had developed.

'Now is the wrong time Dixon' He lectured himself as they walked further into whatever wasteland they were standing in.

All three of them had their weapons raised as they made their hostage walk in front to take them to where his people were.

"This place creepy as fuck." Ebony whispered as she looked around her. The two men looked at her and couldn't help but agree.

They stopped in front of a large door and it slowly opened and out walked a Latino man who ignored the ones that had guns pointed to their kid's head.

"You ok little man?" Was the first thing he asked. She guessed this was G the boy was going on about.

"They were going to cut off my feet. This redneck puta cut off someone's hand and showed it to me." He frowned.

They all just watched the interaction when another male came out with a gun pointed and holding a towel on his behind.

"That's the one that shot me in the ass, what's up?" He threatened.

Ebony had to do her best to hold back her laugh when she heard him.

'The ass? Really?' She laughed internally but kept the same stone face on the outside.

"I'm sure that was only in self-defense baby boy. No hard feelings." She smirked at his pissed off facial expression as he moved the gun to point at her but his arm was pulled down.

The leader looked at her and then looked between the two men. "Is it true that you wanted to cut off his feet? Pretty sick man."

Rick gripped the gun tighter. "I was hoping for more of a calm discussion."

"The hill billy jumps Phillipe's little cousin, threatens to cut off his feet and shoots him in the ass and you want a calm discussion?"

"Heat of the moment. Mistakes were made on both sides."

G nodded their way. "Who are they anyway? You don't look related."

Ebony rolled her eyes as the men were dragging things along.

"Part of our group." Rick answered.

'Well I am not but ok.' She thought.

"We just want our friend and we will be on our way. You can take you little puta, we don't want him. He's useless anyway." Ebony smiled as he looked back at her offended.

"Nah. I need compensation for my injured people and where are my bag of guns?" He questioned.

"Those aren't yours. They're ours."

"It was left out on the street. Could be anyone's."

"The bag had a sheriff logo on it and as you can see, he is a sheriff dumb ass." Ebony rolled her eyes as she grew impatient with the men. They could never do anything smoothly.

"I don't think this is your time or place to talk missy. I am talking to this man right here." He nodded towards Rick as he turned back to him. "What makes you think I won't shoot you all up now?" As he said that, the group of Latinos' behind him raised their weapons and so the three gripped theirs harder with their fingers close to the trigger.

"You could do that... or not." Rick turned and looked up at where T-Dog was positioned, ready to fire if necessary.

'Haha, got you there.' Ebony taunted in her head.

G called out a name and looked up and everyone's eyes followed. They saw two large men holding onto a bounded Glenn on top of the roof, looking ready to push him off if instructed.

'Ah shit, never mind.' Ebony thought once the script was flipped.

Knowing they would not let anything happen to their people, G gave them two options and walked away as if it was nothing.

* * *

"Those guns are worth gold. What we need to survive. You really going to give it up to them as if it was nothing?" Daryl paced around the room again.

"I guess we're back to square one." Ebony sighed as she sat on the desk.

"I don't want to be back at square one. We don't even know if he would keep his word." T-Dog added.

"You calling G a lying?" Miguel said from the floor which earned him a slap from Daryl.

"Really Daryl? We beating up kids now?" Ebony raised her eyebrows as turned away from the boy. He looked into her hazel eyes but couldn't stare at it too long because he could handle the staring.

"He deserved it." He turned back to rick "Is it all worth that to you?"

"He's just a kid Daryl. He risked his life to run out and get the guns by himself when no one told him to do that. You saved me all them years ago, I think it's time we save another." Ebony looked him deep into his eyes and knew she had gotten to him. Everyone else looked at the two wondering what kind of history they had because they (well T-Dog) had yet to see Daryl look so calm when someone talked to him. They knew whatever history they had really impacted their lives.

"She's right. Glenn risked his life for me and I will not leave him with them. We need to get him back no matter what. He didn't walk away so neither will I." Rick said with determination.

"So you're just going to hand the guns over?" Daryl asked annoyed.

"I didn't say that." Rick replied before looking at the each one of them. "You should go. Nothing holding you back to camp."

T-Dog rubbed his hand over his head. "And tell your family what?"

"You're not going alone Rick. We got your back." Ebony stood up and looked at him.

They all looked at each before grabbing guns and loading it up, making the scared boy in the corner to try and protest.

* * *

What happened next was nothing she could expect. They went in there, guns ready, tension was building as the discussion began to get heated, then an elder woman walked out and everything went left. Turns out the group of men that kidnapped Glenn were protecting elder people who were left to die which was heartbreaking. The men had stepped up to protect and so, Rick gave them some guns and ammos for them to protect themselves.

As they got back on the main street, Ebony stopped which caused the men to turn and look at her.

"Well, this has been fun. I guess I'll be on my way."

"What? Where you going to go?" Glenn questioned.

She shrugged. "Where ever the wind takes me."

"You don't have any family you have to look for?" Rick asked her as he readjusted the bags of guns.

"Nope. Been alone since I was 14, I think I would be good for a while." She sighed.

"That won't be necessary. You can come back with us. We have camp, you can join us. I can't have you help and risk your life for us to then turn you away and let you wonder the streets alone."

"Yeah and I kinda have a thing of bringing back useful strays so I would like to continue my streak." Glenn smiled as she rolled her eyes.

Ebony shook her head. "Fine fine. If you insist but don't be out here calling me no stray. I ain't no stray. At least I will finally have some human interaction since the world went to shit." She smiled as she saw Glenn light up.

They began walking and Ebony fell behind in step with Daryl.

"Did you want me to stay Mr. Daryl?" She smiled.

He shrugged. "None my business what you do."

Ebony was going to ask him about how they left off but was cut off by Glenn's confused voice.

"Um. Where's the van?"

They stopped as they saw the space where an alleged van once was.

"How do you lose a van?" Ebony questioned.

Rick shook his head. "We didn't... Merle. He might take revenge on the group." Ebony didn't even have time to wrap her mind around the situation because everyone took off running in the direction where she guessed the camp was. She really hoped she could have at least one calming moment.

* * *

They ran for who knows how many miles but they didn't stop. Night had begun to fall and they couldn't get caught out in the-

"Ahhhh!"

Everyone paused. The sound of gun shots and screaming filled the night air caused adrenaline to pump through their veins to push through the last few steps they had to take to reach the camp.

When they did get there, Ebony was shocked. Everyone was screaming and running. The women clutched onto their children while the men were using guns and bats to kill the dead who were trying to kill them. Then there were the unfortunate people who were getting eaten in front of them.

Rick, Daryl, Glenn and T-Dog all jumped into action and so Ebony joined in. She might as well make a good impression on the group by helping them avoid getting bit. No one said a word, the only noise was from the bullets leaving their guns. A walker charged towards Ebony but her trigger finger was quicker and impaled 'her' through the skull. Seconds later, everything fell still. Everyone was breathing heavy and crying as they took in the scene in front of them as Rick ran over to what she guessed was his family. The camp floor was covered in bodies, blood and guts. It was truly a sad sight to see.

Ebony raised her hazel eyes to meet Daryl's blue eyes. They held onto each other's gaze as she slowly walked over to him, not knowing what to say or do. This was not what she expected.

"I remember my dream now... why I dug the holes..." Ebony faintly heard one of the men say as he looked wide eyed everywhere.

'So much for a warm welcome.' The new comer thought as she wondered how in the hell was she supposed to be welcomed and introduced in the group when half their people were just slaughter and obviously going to be grieving and stressed.

She guessed she would just wait to find out.

* * *

**Been a very long time since I have updated this story so I understand if this chapter isn't all that. Any review would be helpful to see if I can revive a story that barely started.**

**Until Next Time**

**-TBG**


End file.
